Archive for the ‘Blogs’ Category

Phoenix’s Green New American Vegetarian restaurant is our pride and joy – it’s the kind of place where you can bring omnivores to help them to understand that vegan food isn’t just about steamed veggies, tofu and rice. The menu claims to feature “new American style comfort food,” offering a good blend of mock meat sandwiches, pizzas, fried food and bowls. However, I believe Green pushes the boundaries of “comfort food” by bringing exciting new flavors to well-known dishes, redefining what vegan cuisine can be.

Green is located in a humble strip mall just close enough to ASU to draw in young people on a college budget, but also near enough to “Old Town Scottsdale” to attract older people with an interest in healthy eating. Any restaurant with a quote from Daniel Johnston on the wall has the potential to be “too hip for you” and intimidate the “regular folks,” but instead, Green is friendly and welcoming. You’ll always find a diverse crowd there.

Just two weeks ago, we went on a very quick road trip to Arizona. I’d never been before and was hoping to explore some of the vegan options. I wasn’t expecting much, and with the 115° heat, food wasn’t the first thing on my mind when we got there. Still we searched for something different than the usual vegan choices on regular restaurant menus. We were directed by friends to Green in Tempe as the place to check out. Finding some free time on our hands, we made the extra journey to scope it out.

As soon as I took a look at the menu and the various vegan items they had for sale in their mini-store I was ecstatic. Not to mention the extensive list of Tsoynami (think vegan blizzard) flavors listed on a chalkboard. The atmosphere of the place was charming and creative, with tons of space and very vegan vibe.

We just got back from a trip to warm sunny Phoenix to visit the Mr.’s family (and by warm and sunny I mean in the 90′s… in Feb… crazy). I was really surprised to discover that the Phoenix area has many vegetarian/vegan restaurants to choose from. We checked out Yelp and found that Green New American Vegetarian had nothing but fantastic reviews and it was also in an area of the city that we haven’t spent much time in on our other trips to AZ. This new favorite spot really proved that you can’t make judgements about restaurants by their location. Green is in a Tempe strip mall surrounded by fast food, car lots, and pawn shops. If you weren’t looking for the name you would never place it as the down to earth eclectic vegan comfort food spot that it is. Once inside you feel like you have been transported to San Francisco, Seattle, or Portland. The atmosphere is spot on. All of the employees that we spoke with were incredibly friendly, adorable, and eager to suggest their favorite items on the menu.

I landed in Phoenix, AZ on Good Friday last month and left very early in the morning on Easter Sunday. I was there for the Angels’ spring training and knew that I would eat as many meals at Green as possible. This vegan girl knew ahead of time that there was so much to try at Green and so little time! Just check out their menu and you’ll know what I mean. I’d eaten dinner there once last year when I was out for spring training and I brought home a feast for a little Oscar viewing party the next night, so I’d already gotten a taste. I can’t wait to go back!